KERCKRING, THEODORE, a famous physician of
the 17th century, was born at Amsterdam, and acquired
a great reputation by his discoveries and his works. He
found out the secret of softening amber without depriv-
ing it of its transparency; and made use of it in cover-
ing the bodies of curious insects in order to preserve
them. He was a member of the Royal Society of Lon-
don, and died in 1693 at Hamburg, where he had
spent the greatest part of his life, with the title of res-
dent of the grand duke of Tuscany. His principal works
are, 1. Spicilegium anatomicum. 2. Anthropogenie ich-
neographia. There is also attributed to him an anatomi-
cal work, printed in 1671 in folio.